LiqTech chairman Aldo Petersen said: “We are extremely pleased that Finn Helmer, a proven leader, has agreed to accept the role as CEO of LiqTech. Over the course of more than 40 years Finn has in many different situations successfully demonstrated his talent for leading and growing companies into meaningfully larger and more profitable companies.”
Helmer served as CEO of GIGA A/S, a small company in the NKT Group that was acquired by Intel in 2000 for US$1.25 billion. When Helmer joined GIGA as its seventh employee, the company had limited capital, was not profitable and had revenue of less than US$1 million. In less than five years, GIGA employed 100 people, was generating revenues of US$135 million and pre-tax profit of US$73 million.
“Finn’s ability to grow small technologically advanced companies is going to be invaluable to LiqTech, particularly as we enter into a very important period for our silicon carbide membrane technology. I look forward to Finn’s leadership and enthusiastically support his addition to the management team,” said Petersen.
“I am proud to be associated with LiqTech. I have studied its technology and I see many similarities to GIGA. LiqTech has a new and disruptive technology, with unique competitive advantages, in large and growing markets, where the need for new solutions in its targeted end markets provides great growth potential. My goal is to help LiqTech become Denmark’s next GIGA,” said Helmer.
Lasse Andreassen, LiqTech founder and former CEO, said: “I fully support Finn’s joining LiqTech. Finn brings the technological background to understand and appreciate the value of LiqTech’s disruptive silicon carbide membrane technology as well as the business acumen to help it flourish. With Finn joining the company in his new role, I can focus on refining our production processes and continuing to develop additional products and technological advances of our silicon carbide membranes. I am excited to work with Finn in building LiqTech. I believe this move should be very beneficial for LiqTech, its customers and its shareholders.”
